Last year, we collaborated with Gyro-Stabilized Systems (GSS)in partnership with our sister company, Rogue Aviation, to start our venture into aerial cinematography! (GSS provides the most advanced and sought-after gimbal technologies in the world to bring stable platform solutions for production, broadcast and cinema videos!) As our partnership grew, we began to realize not only does GSS create top-notch gimbals, but they have an amazing story that, unfortunately, was not getting heard.

Late last year, GSS decided it was time for a refresh of their brand image, logo, website and social media channels! We were so excited when they came to us with their new venture because we believe in the quality of their products (and they are amazing people).

Our goal for GSS was to provide branding that embodies the bold, high-quality product and service they present to their customers. They have such amazing customer service, drive and ingenuity when it comes to developing their products around their client’s needs, and this wasn’t being communicated. Read on for more details on how we updated their logo, website and social media!

STEP 1: THE STRATEGY

Before we could begin to design a new logo or envision a new website, we needed to define the objectives of this rebrand. To do that, we needed to evaluate the current state of things.

One of the things that we quickly learned was that brand awareness was not where it should be. GSS produces the highest quality gimbal on the market with insane customer service and yet many in the industry were not familiar with their brand. It turns out that this is because of the second thing we learned: GSS had invested heavily in product research and development (which is why they have the best gimbals!), but not in marketing themselves. Their story hadn’t been told.

Based on these understandings, we set a few objectives for their rebrand:

Create a bold branding that is simple, memorable and connects the engineering genius of their products to the emotions of who they are and the amazing work their product produces.

Create marketing materials that compellingly tell the story of not just what GSS makes, but who they are.

Partner with GSS customers to tell their story from the perspectives of those who have been affected by it.

We also set a long-term, overall goal of positioning GSS as the standard-bearer for the aerial cinematography industry. We want everyone in the industry to associate gimbals with the name GSS.

STEP 2: NEW GSS LOGO

First, we started with the core of GSS’ brand: their logo. We knew we wanted to see something a little bolder that would also look great on their gimbals. We started by taking a look at their old logo and evaluating what message it shared – It was simple, monochrome and showed a little of their personality with the gyroscope icon. We liked the icon but it was a bit too soft and “quiet” for the logo and brand we imagined for them. In order to optimize the memorability of their brand, we also opted to eliminate the use of the “Gyro-Stabilized Systems” name and focus on the simplicity of GSS. Finally, we decided to heavily feature their little-known (but incredibly appropriate) tagline, “Setting The Standard.” Once we had landed on a logo direction, we looked to our Rogue Creatives Freelance Network because we knew Jonas Barber of Barberhaus Design Studios was the perfect fit and style for what we wanted to achieve.

The original:

As we worked with Jonas, we came up with a lot of ideas that we tried out. Some of them worked well but didn’t serve the objectives we’d set. In the end, we sought to add in a little color and incorporate a new icon or image to represent the company better. We came up with the idea to include a “play” button in the logo because GSS gimbals enable their customers to produce high-quality videos. We wanted to capture an industrial feel without being cold or disconnected. Barberhaus took these principles and produced the amazing logo options we see below. The final logo incorporates the play button as well as a bold, new color for GSS!

Logo Progress:

FINAL LOGO:

Secondary Logos:

In white:

STEP 3: NEW GSS BRANDING MATERIALS

After locking down the new GSS logo, we went to work on building out the rest of their brand including their name (pushing GSS instead of Gyro-Stabilized Systems), identity and perceived presence. Every part of a company should connect together to create a brand that is cohesive across all platforms: print pieces, social media, video, merch, the website and anything else you can imagine! When a customer sees your brand for the first time or the 100th time, you want your logo to sink into their minds and be remembered. When you think of Coca-Cola, your mind immediately thinks of that refreshing, dark, bubbly drink and the red, cursive font logo, right? When you think of McDonald's, you think of those golden arches and a burger. That’s just GREAT branding (and marketing)! We wanted to make sure GSS is equipped with the same level of cohesive branding across all platforms so that the public perception is as excellent as their products and customer service!

Their new font package matches their updated logo and is bolder and inviting. Since we introduced new colors to the logo, we also incorporated those same colors across all their branded items. We had a blast redesigning it all including sales materials and spec sheets, business cards, hats, t-shirts, stickers and, of course, their website. This is the new GSS style and, moving forward, you’ll see this on all their new products, merch and more!

STEP 4: NEW GSS WEBSITE

With branding and logo in tow, we started rebuilding a new and improved website for GSS. We know that a website is the center of the marketing bullseye, so it must be strong and clear and represent the brand well! We spent a considerable amount of time developing a web strategy that simplified the content on their site to give potential customers the information they needed quickly and easily while always leading directly to a CTA (Call to Action). Once the strategy was in place, we began designing and decluttering. We incorporated the branding and colors we’d already developed and produced a slick, clean and responsive site! We also reworked all of the copy to more effectively infuse some of the GSS personality we’ve come to know. Finally, we equipped them with new features including a customer service pop-up chat box.

STEP 5: UPDATING THE PRODUCT BRANDING

The GSS product line is a truly remarkable feat of engineering and ingenuity. (To those, like us, who aren’t genius engineers, the things they do just seem like magic!) In the past, their products were named by these amazing geniuses of engineering. Unfortunately, we found that names like “C516,” “C520” and “B512” didn’t quite communicate the magic these products were capable of and often confused customers.

So, we set to work strategizing a new naming scheme for their product lines that is both practical (communicating what the product does and who it’s for) and memorable. We accomplished this by creating a simple product matrix based on the line of products (Cinema, Broadcast, etc…) and the size of the gimbal.

During this process, GSS purchased Cineflex, a monster in the broadcast gimbal space. We pivoted accordingly to incorporate the Cineflex branding into the broadcast line of gimbals to capitalize on their rich history and well-respected name.

STEP 6: NEW GSS SOCIAL MEDIA

Last but certainly not least: social media. GSS already had Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts but wasn’t entirely sure how to maximize and optimize them for more followers, customers and better engagement. That’s where we came in! We helped update their social media strategy to better reach customers and currently manage their social media pages to ensure quality content, engagement and customer service! We also work with a number of GSS partners to provide continually updated content captured through the use of GSS products.

GSS has been a fantastic brand to work with! It’s always fun trying to rebrand a well-known company and resolve the obstacles that inevitably come with it. We love this bold, new brand and we think it complements and communicates their personality and values well!

If you’re interested in learning more about our rebranding, social media or website processes, ask us! We’d love to chat with you and learn your brand’s story.